Wildlife in the Greg Duggan Nature Reserve
Western Grey Kangaroo
Kangaroos
The wildlife in the Greg Duggan Nature Reserve in Peterborough, South Australia is quite diverse. Over recent weeks I have been sharing some of the wildflowers I photographed there in September last year. Despite being only 10 acres in size, the fauna is also quite interesting as well. When I visited a small mob of Western Grey Kangaroos was grazing contentedly on the grasses thriving in the park. The female in the photo below looks decidedly like there is a joey in her pouch.
Introduced Mammals
While I didn’t see any other mammals on this visit apart from several rabbits there are sure to be also a few other introduced mammals in this reserve and nearby, including:
- Red Fox (common)
- Brown Hare (common)
- House Mouse (common)
- Black Rat
- Feral House Cat (widespread)
- Goat (present in large numbers further north in the Flinders Ranges)
- Fallow Deer (small feral populations in nearby Jamestown area)
Native Mammals
- Western Grey Kangaroo (common)
- Echidna (probably present in this area)
- Several Bat species (common)
- Brushtail Possum (possibly present)
Reptiles:
I am no expert in this field but there are many species of reptiles in the wildlife of this area, including:
- Snakes – the common species would be Brown Snakes, but there must be others
- Lizards – many species including Blue-tongues, Stumpy-tailed, geckos, skinks and so on
Western Grey Kangaroo – with a joey in the pouch?
Insects:
Again, I am no expert in this field but I have casually observed a variety of
- butterflies (see photo below – I haven’t been able to identify this one)
- moths
- grasshoppers
- many kinds of beetles, bugs and native cockroaches, to name only a few.
Butterfly or moth? (Hard to see – it is right in the middle of the photo just above the two flowers)
Birds:
This is one area of wildlife where I do have a great deal of knowledge in this area. In all, there are probably well over 150 different species of birds in the region – say, within a 20km radius. Included in this list are a few waterbirds (present in dams and a wetland area near the caravan park), eagles, hawks, pigeons, many species of honeyeaters, chats, babblers, parrots, thornbills, magpies, ravens, woodswallows, finches and the list goes on.
I have included only two photos today (see below). Of special note is the Apostlebird, an uncommon species in South Australia. The township of Peterborough has several large family groups of this species and is one of only a handful of places in the state where they can be reliably seen. The are very common in the eastern states, however.
Mallee Ringneck parrot
Apostlebird
Apostlebirds, Rankins Springs, NSW
Apostle Birds, Rankins Springs, NSW
On our one night stay at Rankins Springs last year we took out time from travelling home to drive around this mid western town. On previous occasions we had only stopped for a short time for a meal, or a cuppa. This time we made time to have a good look around.
I am particularly interested in the birds of any location I visit (see Trevor’s Birding site). One of the common birds in this area is the Apostle Bird. It is commonly seen in parks and gardens, along road side vegetation and flying across the road as you travel along.
Apostle birds are gregarious, usually moving around feeding in family groups of about a dozen or so, hence their name. They are often seen feeding on the ground. When it comes to nesting time the whole group will help make a bowl shaped mud nest in a convenient tree.
On our wandering around the town we visited several birding spots promoted by the locals for visiting birders. They have even produced a small pamphlet about the local birds, including a map to show where to see birds in the vicinity. Sign posts along the road direct visitors to these good birding sites. One of them was the dam shown below.
Further reading:
- Cocoparra National Park – just south of Rankins Springs
Dam near Rankins Springs, NSW